On 4 December in Maladechna
the police detained four young activists who take part in the electoral campaign
of the presidential candidate Ryhor Kastusiou.

They were stopped by a police patrol at the central square. The policemen
stated they were looking for a stolen mobile phone and therefore they needed to
search the youngsters. However, they found only several leaflets of Ryhor
Kastusiou. One of the detainees had certificate of a member of Kastusiou’s
electoral team and explained to them that it wasn’t a law violation.

However, the policemen guarded all four to the police station. There the
youngsters were told they were detained because of the printed production. The
policemen checked their documents and asked where they worked. They counted the
leaflets and asked about their origin. Then they asked why the leaflets were
found in the rucksack of the guy who didn’t have certificate of a member of the
electoral team.

Despite all statements of the detainees that the presidential electoral
campaign was at its height, that’s why one could carry and distribute such
leaflets the police didn’t release them until one of the policemen phoned somewhere
and told that they had found ‘leaflets of some Kastusiou’.

Only then the police returned the leaflets and released the detainees without
giving them any charges.